1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an FPC connector, and more particularly, to an FPC connector with a built-in lock in which an inserted FPC can be securely locked therein and readily disengaged therefrom when needed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FPC is a medium used for data transmission between computers and the peripherals connected thereto. FPC typically has a plurality of conductors for transmitting signal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,083 issued to Masashi Seto on Dec. 19, 2000, discloses a conventional electrical connector mounted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for engaging with an FPC. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals retained in the insulative housing across the connector along a width directrion, and an actuator moveably driven between an opened position and a closed position relative to the housing. The insulative housing has a mating space for receiving the FPC therein and a plurality of grooves in communicating with the mating space. Each of the terminals includes a contacting arm electrically connecting with the FPC and a retaining arm corresponding to the contacting arm, both of which extending towards the mating space and creating a gap thicker than a thickness of the FPC at between thereof. By this arrangement, the FPC can be easily inserted therein without any noticeable resistance. The actuator defines a driving portion at middle thereof for urging the FPC against the contacting arm and a pair of bosses detachably connected with the insulative housing at both ends thereof.
When the actuator is set at opened position, the driving portion is away from the mating space and will not exert a biasing force against the FPC inserted into the mating space. When the actuator is rotated and set to the closed position, said driving portion presses against the FPC to engage with the conductive terminal. The insulative housing has a pair of positioning portions integrally extending from both ends thereof for preventing the FPC from being removed away the electrical connector along a mating direction. The positioning portion has a triangle-shaped across section in the mating direction for guiding the insertion and pulling out of the FPC. However the FPC will easily shift upwardly and then readily being pulled away from the electrical connector easily if the actuator is set at opened position, because which is not secured by the positioning portion along a vertical direction perpendicular to the width direction.
Therefore, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related arts.